Ski-tow grippers



April 4, 1961 K. M. Bil-:BER

sx1-Tow GRIPPERS Filed Aug. 4, 1958 @M wMM MKM@ Xabi/MLM@ ATTO l2 HEY United States Patent 4 2,971,895 e Aski-Tow GRIPPERS Kasimir Maurice Bieber, 7097 De lEpee Ave.,

Montreal 15, Quebec, Canada The invention relates to ski-tow grippers, as described inthe present specicationand illustrated in the accomv panying drawings that form a part, of the same.

The invention consists essentially of the novel features of construction as pointed out broadly and specifically in the claims for novelty following a description containing an explanation in detail of an acceptable form of the invention.

The objects of the invention are to devise a ski-tow gripper for use by skiers for manually gripping a skitow rope so that the skier may be pulled to the summit of a ski hill and thereby to ensure a tight gripping engagement with the moving rope and which can be easily detachably secured and removed from the rope; to avoid the use of the rusual hand leverage to hooking devices which are connected to the rope in order that the transmissionof/the traction thereof will be conveyed to the skier by meansof a cord attachedto the skiers` waist belt' and which has been found inconvenient inasmuch as in the event of a too sudden start, the rope must generally be seized by the hands of the skier in the usual way before such devices can be applied and thereby causing wear and tear on the skiers gloves and also effecting delays in the hook on and oif by the skier to the ski rope; to eliminate the use of devices of metal construction for connecting the ski-tow to the skier which through frictional engagement generally causes damage to the ski rope and thereby necessitating repairs to the ski-tow; to furnish a ski-tow gripper that can be detachably connected to the ski-tow by the skier without the necessity of the skier having his hands touching the rope and thereby enabling the traction for the skier to be converted from manual means to a belt cord very quickly after the skier has contacted the ski rope; and generally to provide a ski-tow gripper that will be formed of few and simple parts, easy to assemble and efficient for its purpose.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the ski-tow gripper.

Figure 2 is an end of the ski-tow cable;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the ski-tow cable gripper as taken along the line 3--3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the gripper as manually applied to the movable rope of the ski-tow.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding L parts in the various ligures.

Referring to the drawings, the gripping member as indicated by the numeral 10 consists of a hand mat 11 formed of leather, plastic, or any other suitable pliable material capable of having frictional engagement surface for contact with the tow rope.

The hand mat is preferably formed of an endless strip of material which is so shaped and secured -as to terminate along its longitudinal edges into loops 12 and 13 for the purpose of engagement with the handles 14 and 15 made of wood or other `suitable material while the central portion of the mat is suitably secured together to form a ilexibility of the mat which is utilized when Patented Apr. 4, 19611 the handle are manually pressed towards one another, or released from one another for engagement and disengagement with vthe tow-rope. The loops of the hand mat may be secured to the handles, or frictonally engaged therewith in accordance as to whether it is desirable for the handles to be exchanged in the hand mat for left or right-handed persons, or if `the grippers are to be specifically constructed for sale to right or lefthanded persons. Y

The handles 14 and 15 extend for some distance beyond theforward openings. of the loops 12 and 13 and are suitably rounded or bullet shaped at their ends.V The handle 14 is of alonger length than the handle 15 and is provided with a longitudinal orifice 16 in which is introduced a spring member 17, having one end connected to the washer 18 or other suitable plate which is wider than the` diameter of the orifice 16 and is adapted tor be in contact with the .outer end 19 of the handle 14. The other end of the springvmember may be directly or indirectly connected with a hook member 20 which projects outwardly from the other outer end 21 of the handle 14, although it must be understood that in place of a hook, a guide ring or a similar unit may be used. The shorter handle 15 has the cord 22 secured to one end thereof which is adjacentto the hook end of the handle 14 and this cord ,is engaged with thehook or ring member and.from there on is connected to the users 4belt and is of a length just about equal to his reach when holding the device to the tow rope 23 with an extended arm. Y

1n the form herein described the device is intended for the more usual right-hand rope tows where the user rides on the right side of the rope.A By interchanging the position of the two handles, the device is readily adapted for use on left-hand tows where the skier rides on the left side of the rope.

In the use of the ski-tow gripper the skier grasps the device rmly with his right hand and places it on top of the moving rope, the handles anking the rope on either side and the belt cord passing on top of the rope. The belt cord ensures at this stage that the device will not be carried away by the moving rope but will stay within the skiers reach. He then presses the two handles together, thus causing the hand mat to encircle the rope with some pressure, and will begin moving uphill immediately through the traction elected by the manually operated gripper and the operated rope. The pressure and, therefore, the traction may be increased by assisting with the left hand in squeezing the handles together. It may be seen that the handles produce some leverage effect in causing the hand mat to press on the rope from all directions, which leverage enhances the hand pressure.

At this stage, it is still the manual traction which is causing the skier to move. To cause the device to come into full operation by means of belt cord traction, the skier now transfers his left hand to the rope behind him grasping it firmly and thus assuming the load by means of left hand pushing on his body ahead of it while turning the device with the relieved right hand nearly half a turn clockwise about the axis of the tow rope, so that the right-hand rod will come to the left of both the rope and the left hand rod. This will cause the belt circled the rope, and the skiers weight is causing it to exert a considerable pressure both directly and by pressing the rod upward against the rope in a partial tourniquet effect. The more fully the skiers weight is pull-V ing, against this loop, the tighter it will become, thus ensuring an efficient, non-slip traction.

When nearing the end of the tow line, the skier has only to transfer his weight again momentarily to his left hand, which rests on the rope behind him, move the devices rear end away from himself, which will cause the front end of the right hand rod, rounded for that purpose, to slip the loop, take the device oi the rope and drop it on the near side. of the rope, and leave the tow line in the usual way.

It will, of course, be understood that modications and ramifications may beV made to this device without departing from the essential'. featuresof this. invention.

Theembodiments of the invention in which an exelusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

l. A ski-tow gripper comprising a gripper formed of a ilexible mat-like member havingV the outer longitudinal portions terminating in loops, handles introduced in said loops and forming the connecting means for engagement with an uphill moving rope of the ski-tow through manual pressure on the hand mat and a cord secured to one of the handles and directed by the other handle for engagement with the ski rope and having its other end suitably secured to the skier.

2. A ski-tow gripper comprising a gripper formed of i a exible mat-like member, said flexible mat having a central portion and outer longitudinal loops, handles introduced in the loops of said ilexible mat, a cord having one end secured to one of the handles and connecting with the other handle for engagement with an uphill moving ski rope and having its other end suitably secured to the body of a skier, said cord and said handles being manually controllable through the flexible mat.

3. A ski-tow gripper comprising a gripper formed of a flexible mat-like member said exible mat having a central portion and outer longitudinal loops, handles introduced in the loops of said ilexible mat, a cord having one end secured to one of the handles and connecting with the other handle for engagement with an uphill l moving ski rope and having its other end suitably secured to the body of a skier, one of the said handles being longer than the other handle and provided with a longitudinal orifice therethrough, a spring member located in the handle having the orice and having one end connected to the cord and the other end of the spring being secured to the other end of the handle, said cord and said handles being manually controllable through the exible mat.

4. A ski-tow gripper comprising a gripper formed of a eXible mat-like member, said exible mat having a central portion and outer longitudinal loops, handles of different lengths inserted in the loops of said gripper, the longer handle being provided with a longitudinal orifice, a spring member located in the orifice of the longer handle and having one end connected to a hook member extending beyond the handle and the other end secured to a retaining member located exteriorly of the handle, a cord having one end secured to the smaller of the handles and engaging with the hook of the other handle, and having its tree end secured to the body of the skier.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

